Machine for stencilling fabric with suction



H. L SHUTTLEWORTH arm. 9,595

CHINE FOR STENGILLING FABRIC WITH siLTImi Ami 29, 1947.

Original Filed 001;. 26a 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1947- H. L. sHu 'rLswoRTH Er/u.

mm: rose swsxcmum manxc WITH sue 1110s Original Filed on. as, 1 2 snwtWWz 2 5a 16 7 7 m I2 Patented pr. 29, 19%? I MACHINE FOR STEN CILLIN G FABRIC SUCTION WITH Howard L. Shuttleworth, Amsterdam, and Garfield J. Underwood and Lewis R. Jones, Broadalbin, N. Y., assignors to Mohawk Carpet Mills, Inc.

Original application October 26, 1944, Serial No. 560,448. Divided and this application October 18, 1945, Serial No. 623,116

3 Claims.

1 This invention relates to the printing of textile fabrics for the purpose of reproducing patterns on the surface thereof. More particularly,

the invention is concerned with a novel apparatus for printing patterns on the pile surface of a pile fabric by the use of which it is possible to print sharp, clean designs upon a pile surface and, at the same time, to cause the coloring matter to permeate the pile to the backing of the fabric, so that crushing or distortion of the pile will not bring into view uncolored portions thereof. A pile fabric printed by means of the new apparatus, accordingly, resembles a fabric with a figured pile that has been produced by the use of colored yarns in the weaving operation, but the printed fabric can be manufactured at substantially less cost than the woven one.

Pile fabrics in which the pile is formed of tufts made of yarns of different colors arranged to produce designs are commonly of Axminster or Wilton weave. In Axminster weaving, the tuft yarns are wound on tube frames, one for each row of tufts across the fabric, and each frame carries separate supplies of yarns required for the formation of the tufts in its row. As a repeat of the pattern may include a large number of rows or tufts, it will be apparent that much expense and time are involved in the preparation of the tube frames before weaving can be started. Also, the equipment required for the production of Axminster fabrics represents a large investment, and whenever a change in pattern is to be made, the loom is idle while a new set of tube frames is prepared or installed, or else two sets of frames must be provided with one set undergoing preparation while the other is in use.

In Wilton weaving, the tufts are made of warp yarns of different colors, and these yarns are raised from the body of the fabric to form tufts in accordance with the requirements of the pattern. A considerable part of each yarn may, accordingly, be embedded within the fabric where it is invisible, and as the tuft yarns are crdinarily made of wool, the large quantities of the woolen yarns required in a Wilton fabric make such fabrics expensive.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a novel apparatus for producing pile fabrics having a figured pile in which the tuft yarns are colored by a printing operation and the coloring matter is caused to penetrate the pile so that the entire exposed length of each tuft is colored. In the use of the new apparatus, the areas of the pile which are of the same color are printed in one stage, and in this operation, use is made of a stencil sheet which has pervious areas corresponding to those where the color is to appear in the design. During the printing operation, the stencil sheet is brought into contact ,with the tips of the tufts and simultaneously, the coloring matter is forced through the sheet from the rear and suction is applied to the back of the fabric. By thus forcing the coloring matter through the stencil sheet, while the latter engages the pile so lightly as not to distort the tufts, and at the same time, applying suction at the rear surface of the fabric, the full length of each tuft is colored and the colored areas have sharp edges without blurring,

The apparatus of the invention includes a support for the fabric, and means for advancing the fabric across the support. Above the support is a rotary drum, which can be adjusted vertically relatively to the surface of the fabric, and the drum has a perforate cylindrical surface about which the stencil sheet is wrapped. The coloring matter is contained within the drum and is forced through the stencil sheet by means, such as a roller mounted within the drum with its axis parallel to the drum axis. The roller is adjustable toward and away from the inner surface of the drum to vary the pressure with which the coloring matter is discharged. A suction chamber is mounted directly beneath the drum in an opening in the support, and the chamber has an orifice facing the drum, the edges of which contact with the under surface of the fabric.

For a better understanding of the invention,

reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of the new apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of the apparatus in side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation of one of the adjustable supports for the drum; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings operates to print upon the fabric while the latter is advancing and it includes a table made up of legs 10 and longitudinal and cross members ll, l2 respectively. The top I3 of the table serves sectional view on the as a support for the fabric and it is mounted on the frame in any suitable manner. Spike feed rolls l4, l5 are mounted at the ends of the table with their upper surfaces lying tangent to the plane of the fabric support. The rolls rotate in bearings |6 on standards l1 supported by the table frame. v

The fabric passing over support I3 is engaged near the middle of the support by a pair of spiked rolls l8, l9 which extend through openings in the support to make contact with the under'surface of the fabric. The shafts'o'f' rolls |8, |9 are mounted in bearings in a pair of structural members 2|, one at each side of the machine. Another structural member 22 rests on each member 20 and the member 22 includes a pair of brackets 23 which support a block 24 having a transverse channel 25 in its upper end. A slide 26 having an'inclined top surface lies within the channel 25, and it is movable endwise by a screw 21 threaded into its end and passing through a bracket 28 attached to one of the brackets 23.

The screw is provided with a hand wheel. 29 at its end. A plate 30 lies above slide 26 and it is provided with downward extensions 3| which lie on either side of the slide and of block 24. A pair of plates 32 secured to block 24 on either side of each extension 3| serve as guides therefor. The plate 30 is provided at each end with wear plates 33, 34 which extend downwardly between extensions 3| to bear on the inclined upper surface of the slide. With this arrangement, movement of slides 26 at each" side of-the-machine causes plates 30 to move up or down in unison, and the vertical movement of plates 30 is guided by plates 32 acting against the edges .of the downward extensions 3| of plate 30.

At its upper end; each plate 30 has an opening through which extends a bushing 35 encircling a shaft 36, which isheld against movement by a clamp 31 tightly engaging the shaft and secured to plate 30 by a bolt 38. A double sprocket wheel 39 is mounted on one of the sleeves 35 and is keyed thereto.

The shaft 36 supports a drum 49 which is made up of end plates 4|, each having a hub 42 keyed to sleeve 35. The cylindrical part of the drum is engage the tion of the slide lies between 4 plates guide the extensions in the vertical movement of member 2 I. The top of base 50 is formed with a channel in which runs a slide 54, formed with a pair of inclined top surfaces 55, which provide the slide with two wedges. Each wedge porthe downward extensions 5| ,at one end of the structural member 2|, and wear plates 56 attached to the extensions inclined surfaces of the wedges. The slide 54 is movable by a screw 51 threaded into its end and passing through a bracket 58 attached to the base. The screw carries a hand wheel 59 at its end, and by turning the screws of the slides at opposite sides of the machine, the two structural members 2| may be moved vertically, carrying with them the rolls l8, l9. Such movement of the structural members 2| also causes movement of the drum 40, but the position of the drum relaformed by a sheet of perforated metal 43 extending between the end plates and secured to flanges thereon. A roller 44 is mounted within the drum on a shaft 45 which runs in bearings in hangers 46 which straddle the fixed shaft 36. A bearing block 41 lies between the legs of each hanger, and the hanger is provided at its top with an adjustment screw 48 which is threaded into the top of the block. By means of the adjustment screws, roller 44 can be raised and lowered relatively to the inner surface of the drum. The roller is covered with a layer 49 of relatively soft fabric. and normally the roller is adjusted so that the covering makes direct contact with the inner surface of the perforated sheet of the drum. The roller thus acts in the manner of a doctor blade, as the drum rotates, to squeeze out through the surface of the drum coloring matter lying in the space between the roller and that part of the inner surof the various rolls tive to the structural members 2| can be adjusted by means of the slides 26.

A suction chamber 60 is mounted beneath the fabric support in an opening therethrough, and

the chamber has an orifice 6| about /4" wide at its top which lies in the plane of the top of the support in position to engage the under surface of the fabric moving along the support. The chamber is aligned with the axis of the drum and so that the suction acts on the fabric along a line immediately beneath the line of contact of the drum and fabric. The chamber is connected by a pipe 62 having a valve 63 to a suction pump 64 driven by motor 65, and by regulation of the valve and the motor, the suction maintained in the chamber can be maintained as desired. Ordinarily, the suction used will be equivalent to about 4" of water.

The shafts of rolls l8, l9 carry double sprocket gears 66, 61, respectively, and one of the gears 66 is connected by a chain 68 to a sprocket wheel 69 on the shaft of roll l4. One of the gears 61 is similarly connected by a chain 10 to a sprocket wheel II on the shaft of roll l5. The other sprocket wheels 66, 61 are connected, respectively, by chains 12, 13 to respective sprocket wheels 39 attached to drum 40. Poweris transmitted to the machine through the shaft of one of the rolls |4, |5 by means not shown, and the sprocket wheels and the drum are of such size that the rolls and drum all travel with the same surface speed.

In the use of the apparatus, a stencil sheet 14 is wrapped about the drum and held in place by clamps 15 secured to the drum near its ends. The sheet employed for the purpose is a fabric, ordinarily silk, of fine weave, and it is made impervious throughout all areas in the pattern except those that are to be of the same color. With the stencil sheet in place, the coloring material is introduced into the drum through a filler cap I6. The coloring material used is of the consistency of paste so that it will not flow freely through the perforated wall of the drum and through the stencil sheet. The coloring matter may take the form of a. dye mixed with a starch or flour paste, or with a gum paste. If desired, pigments in emulsion form rather than soluble dyes. may be used with the paste; The coloring matter is ordinarily introduced into the drum in a quantity sufficient to fill the lower partof the drum up to about the level of the axis of roller 44.

The fabric is then started across the support, and rolls -|8, |9 are adjusted by means of their slides 54 to cause them to engagethe under surface of the fabric so that they can advance it without slipping. The position of the drum 4B is then adjusted by means of its slides 26, the drum being disposed so that the stencil sheet makes light contact with the tips of the tufts of the fabric. This adjustment of the drum is necessary, since the fabric to be printed may have pile of varying heights.

As the fabric passes over the support, coloring matter is squeezed through the stencil sheet by the pinching action of roll 44 pressing on the inner surface of the drum at the lowest point thereof. At the same time, the suction applied to the back of the fabric in the line of application of the color draws the coloring matter down into the pile to the fabric backing. The amount of color deposited on the pile may be varied by adjusting the position of roller 44 and the suction will also be varied depending upon the height of the pile. Since the coloring matter is deposited on the pile while the latter is in erect and undistorted condition, the colored areas produced by printing have sharp, clean edges.

In one passage of the fabric through the machine, all areas of the pattern which have the same color are printed thereon. If the design includes a number of colors, several different stencil sheets will be required, and the several printing operations may be carried on in separate machines, or one machine may be used, the stencil sheet and coloring matter being changed after each passage of the fabric therethrough. After completion of the printing operation, the fabric may be subjected in suitable apparatus to other operations, such as steaming, washing, etc.

Pile fabric of any desired weave may be employed in the printing operation, and the pile of the fabric may be made of uncolored yarns or of yarns all of the same color. Since the same pile yarns are used throughout the fabric, the production thereof is much less expensive than weaving operations, in which colored yarns are used to obtain pattern effects.

This application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 560,448, filed October 26, 1944.

We claim:

1. In fabric printing apparatus, the combination of a table having a horizontal top, a perforated rotary drum having a stencil sheet wrapped about it, the drum being adapted to con- 2. In fabric printing apparatus, the combination of a table having a horizontal top, a perforated rotary drum having a stencil sheet wrapped about it, the drum being adapted to contain a body of coloring matter, means within the drum cooperating with the inner surface of the drum for forcing coloring matter through the lowest part of the sheet as the drum rotates, a mounting for supporting the drum above the table, a suction chamber extending into an opening through the top of the table, the chamber terminating in the plane of the table top and having an orifice at its upper end, which extends across the table and lies in vertical alignment with the axis oi. the drum, 2. roll at one end of the table for engaging and advancing fabric across the table in a direction at right angles to the axis of the drum, a pair of rolls extending into transverse openings in the table top adjacent to and on opposite sides of the openings for the suction chamber, said rolls lying tangent to the plane of the table top and having their axes parallel to the drum axis, and means for rotating the drum and the three rolls at the same surface speed.

3. In fabric printing apparatus, the combination of a table having a horizontal top, a pertain a body of coloring matter, means within the drum cooperating with the inner surface of the drum for forcing coloring matter through the lowest part of the sheet as the drum rotates, a mounting for supporting the drum above the table, a suction chamber extending into an opening through the top of the table, the chamber terminating in the plane of the table top and having an orifice at its upper end, which extends across the table and lies in'vertical alignment with the axis of the drum, a pair of spiked rolls extending into transverse openings in the table top on opposite sides of the opening for the suction chamber, the spiked rolls being tangent to the plane of the table top and lying with their axes parallel to the drum axis, and means for rotating the rolls and drum at the same surface speed.

forated rotary drum having .a stencil sheet wrapped about it, the drum being adapted to contain a body of coloring matter, means within the drum cooperating with the inner surface of the drum for forcing coloring matter through the lowest part of the sheet as the drum rotates, a mounting for supporting the drum above the table, a suction chamber extending into an opening through the top of the table, the chamber terminating in the plane of the table top and having an orifice at its upper end, which extends across the table and lies in vertical alignment with the axis of the drum, a pair of spiked rolls extending into transverse openings in the table top on opposite sides of the opening for the suction chamber, the spiked rolls being tangent to the plane of the table top and lying with their axes parallel to the drum axis, means for adjusting the drum mounting to vary the distance between the lowest part of the drum and the suction chamber orifice, and means for rotating the drum and the rolls at the same surface speed.

HOWARD SHU'I'ILEWOR'IH. G J. UNDERWOOD. LEWIS R. JONES.

Remittances omen The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

